My make-ahead vegan holiday recipes plus handy tips!

Before we dig into today’s juicy post, I want to share that, starting tomorrow (Nov. 23), the new Oh She Glows Boxed Set is 50% OFF! Whoa baby. The sale will continue until Tuesday, November 28th, so plenty of time to take advantage. Mine arrived last week, and I gotta say they’re b-e-a-utiful. A “glam shoot” soon followed, lol.

Every morning while sipping my coffee, I respond to your questions and comments that have come in since the previous day. It’s one of my favourite relaxing morning rituals…right up until the kids realize “Mommy’s in the office!” and BUST THROUGH THE DOOR UNLEASHING TOTAL CHAOS. How do they always know? And how do I clean baby fingerprints off my camera lens? Anyway, I’ve been receiving a lot of holiday meal prep questions, and while I always try to troubleshoot your questions immediately, I’m often left needing some time to try out my ideas. So, this month my recipe tester Nicole and I have been busy tackling make-ahead versions of my most popular holiday recipes!

Last year, Eric and I hosted two big holiday meals while juggling a newborn and toddler (we didn’t want to travel so everyone came to us which was so nice), and looking back I REALLY could’ve used these tricks and tips then. I felt pretty frazzled. Oh well, I’m here today to help take some of the guesswork out of your preparations—from mains and sides to breakfast and dessert recipes too. Even if you walk away today with one new idea or trick up your sleeve I’ll consider it a holiday WIN. I realize this post is probably too late for American Thanksgiving tomorrow, but for those of you who cook holiday spreads in December like we do, I hope it’ll be helpful.

Oh and please feel free to share your tips and tricks because the more the merrier when it comes to simplifying this time of the year. Do you have a game plan? Are you being treated to a meal or are you hosting this year? Be sure to let me know if you have any lingering questions. I’ll try my best to help.

I’d like to wish my American readers a fun, safe, and delicious Thanksgiving! If you make any OSG recipes, please tag your photos with #ohsheglows and @ohsheglows. I’d love to see them! Cheers, friends.

Make Ahead Mains & Sides

1. Butternut Squash CasseroleVegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, nut-free option
Prepare up to 2 days in advance
Prepare entire casserole (do not bake it yet). Wrap the unbaked casserole and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove casserole from fridge and unwrap, setting it aside while the oven preheats. Bake as directed.

3. Shepherd’s PieVegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free option, grain-free optionPrepare 1 day in advance
Recipe found in Oh She Glows Every Day, p. 167
Prepare entire casserole as directed, but do not bake. Wrap the unbaked casserole and place in the fridge one day before you intend to serve it. Day-of, remove wrap, sit casserole on the counter while the oven preheats, and bake as directed.

4. Sweet Potato Casserole with a Crunchy Nut CrumbleVegan, gluten-free, soy-freePrepare up to 3 days in advance
Prepare entire casserole (do not bake it yet). Wrap up the unbaked casserole and place in the fridge for up to three days. Remove wrap, sit casserole on the counter while the oven preheats, and bake as directed.

5. On The Mend Spiced Lentil and Kale SoupVegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, grain-free
Cook up to a month in advance
Also found in The Oh She Glows Cookbook, p. 131
Cook the soup as directed. Pour into freezer-safe containers leaving an inch for expansion. Cool the soup, secure lid, and freeze up to one month before serving. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and transfer to a pot. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.

6. Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls with Cranberry-Pear Sauce(updated recipe!)Vegan, gluten-free, soy-freePrepare cranberry sauce 1 to 2 weeks in advance; lentil balls 1 to 2 days before servingCranberry-Pear Sauce: Cook the cranberry sauce as directed. Cool and transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze one to two 1 to 2 weeks before. Thaw overnight in the fridge.Lentil Mushroom Walnut Balls: Prepare the lentil balls (do not bake yet), and place the unbaked balls on a plate. Wrap the plate and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. Remove wrap and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake as directed.

7. Ultimate Lentil-Walnut LoafVegan, soy-freePrepare 2 to 3 days in advance
Prepare the loaf as directed (do not bake yet). Cover the loaf pan with wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. Uncover, sit pan on the counter while the oven preheats, and bake as directed (you’ll likely need closer to 60 minutes since it’s baking straight from the fridge).

Make-Ahead Brunch Recipes

1. Vegan Cinnamon RollsVeganPrepare Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting 3 to 5 days in advance; cinnamon rolls up to 18 hours before servingFor the frosting: Prepare frosting as directed and place in an airtight container before refrigerating 3 to 5 days in advance.For the rolls: Simply follow the recipe until you complete the second rise. Place the wrapped dish in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove the dish from the fridge, flick on your oven light, and let the rolls sit in the unheated oven with the light on for about 20 minutes. After that, remove the dish from the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed.

2. Vegan Banana BreadVegan, nut-free option, refined sugar-free, soy-free
1 to 2 weeks in advance
Prepare and bake the loaf as directed. Cool it on a cooling rack, and then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of tinfoil. Alternatively, place the cooled loaf into a large freezer bag with the air sucked out. Freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

3. Heavenly Carrot Cake Baked OatmealVegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free
Up to 24 hours in advance
Prepare the oatmeal (do not bake yet), wrap up the dish, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. In the morning, unwrap, sit casserole on the counter while the oven preheats, and bake as directed. Serve with Coconut Whipped Cream (make-ahead option below).

4. Maple-Cinnamon Apple & Pear Baked OatmealVegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free
Up to 24 hours in advance
Found in The Oh She Glows Cookbook, p. 39
Prepare the oatmeal (do not bake yet), wrap the dish, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. In the morning, unwrap and set dish on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake as directed. Serve with Coconut Whipped Cream (make-ahead option below).

Make-Ahead Dessert Recipes

1. Chilled Chocolate-Espresso Torte with Toasted Hazelnut CrustVegan, gluten-free
1 to 2 weeks in advance
Found in The Oh She Glows Cookbook, p. 241
Prepare the torte as directed (hold off on the Coconut Whipped Cream until serving). Freeze as directed, 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with Coconut Whipped Cream.

2. Raw Pumpkin Pie with Baked Oat CrustVegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free option
1 to 2 weeks in advance
Found in The Oh She Glows Cookbook, p. 247
Prepare the entire pie as directed. Freeze as directed, 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with Coconut Whipped Cream.
Tip: for a nut-free version, make my Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts with a Sunflower Cookie Crust.

3. Coconut Whipped CreamVegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free
Prepare 1 to 2 weeks (if freezing) or 2 days (if refrigerating) in advanceFreezing: Prepare the coconut whipped cream as directed. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and press out the air. Seal the bag and freeze for 1 to 2 weeks. Thaw overnight in the fridge, and whip with a whisk before using, if needed.Refrigerating: Prepare the coconut whipped cream as directed. Transfer to a dish and cover. Refrigerate for up to a couple days before using. Whip with a whisk before using, if needed.

4. Chewy Molasses Spelt CookiesVegan, nut-free, soy-free optionPrepare 1 week in advance
Found in Oh She Glows Every Day, p. 219, similar here
Make the dough. Shape balls of dough and roll in turbinado sugar. Place unbaked balls into a freezer-safe bag, seal, and freeze. If baking balls from frozen, add an extra 3 to 4 minutes to baking time. Or you can thaw the balls at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes day-of and bake as directed.

Hi Gesa, Aw thank you for considering this as a Christmas present…I’m so flattered. And so sorry to hear about the high shipping price! It’s coming from Canada so Indigo has duty and customs fees as well as shipping to cover a heavy box. Unfortunately it is only sold at Indigo and won’t be on Amazon for sale.

Excellent idea with all of these make-ahead dishes! I’ve found that make-ahead dishes are really a great way to make holidays less stressful, while making it easier to stick to your health goals. They also allow more time to spend catching up with friends and family. After all, that’s what the holidays are all about!

Hi Kamila, I’m so sorry to hear that. The boxed set ships from Canadian company, Indigo, so there are customs/duty fees as well as shipping for a heavy box. Thanks for your interest in the set, anyway!

Am I crazy or are you missing a recipe on your site/app? I was looking for the almond ‘healthy no sugar’ cookie recipe… you shaped them like little gingerbread men in your photo. I was using it for my daughters afternoon snack. I’m sooo bummed it’s gone! Can you help?

Hey Paula,
I can help you out for sure! :)
I have two gingerbread man type cookies in the app: Healthy Kiddo Cookies and Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies (found in the Cookie Lover’s Bundle on the bundle page). I would suggest making sure your free cookie lover’s bundle has been downloaded. :) Please let me know if this helps!

Okay Angela, I figured it out! So, on the app, if select to search by category then the healthy kiddo cookie disappears. However, if you just use the chronological search then it’s there. Does this make sense? Thanks for your reply. I was losing my mind trying to figure this out!! Ha.

Hey Paula, Oh this is so helpful, thank you! I just popped into the back end of my app and realized I hadn’t categorized the healthy kiddo cookies, so that’s why it wasn’t showing up. It should be fixed today! Thanks again and happy cooking :)

Hi Angela, for the Chocolate-Espresso Torte, do you need to remove the skins from the hazelnuts? I’ve had both of your cookbooks since I became vegan 3 years ago and I couldn’t live without them, but I’ve never tried this torte recipe, so I thought I would make it for the holidays this year. Thanks!

I love this post!! I can’t wait to make some of these recipes. Last night to go with dinner I made the best ever kale salad from your newest cookbook. I don’t know what it is about that salad, but it is addicting!!
I have a question about the spelt cookies. I have recently found out that I can’t tolerate gluten which means that I can’t have spelt either. I am not a fan of most of the gluten-free flour blends on the market because they are just a bunch of starches. Do you think that I could substitute oat flour and almond flour for the spelt? In the crispy almond butter cookies recipe it has equal amounts of those flours. What are your thoughts? :)

Hey Lori, Im so happy you love the post…thanks! I can’t see why oat flour and almond flour wouldn’t work! I just am not sure of the exact amounts. If I was going to try it out, I would probably use 3/4 cup oat flour and 3/4 cup almond flour…but just guessing! You kind of need to eyeball the dough as you go to make sure it’s not too wet or too dry. If you try anything out please let me know how it goes!

I made the molasses ginger cookies with almond flour and oat flour. They turned out really good! I think I added a bit too much flour because they are a tiny bit dry. But I bet if I baked them for less time that would probably take care of it. I added chocolate chips to the batter and it was amazing!! They were definitely good enough to make again, I’ll just make a note to bake for less time.

I was excited to find this post. I remember when you introduced Thanksgiving Panzanella and wanted to find it today, but couldn’t remember the name. Voila! Here it is Thank you and Nicole for your time and care putting this together. All the recipes certainly look holiday worthy!

I ended up not making the Panzanella (yet!), but your lentil walnut loaf and sweet potato casserole were delicious for our Christmas dinner. For some reason, I was moved to mix the pecan crunch topping into the potatoes before baking, and topped with only the marshmallows, but it still turned out great, I think. Thank you for these two vegan holiday staples!

Thanks Angela – I have a little three month old this Christmas so this will be a HUGE help! The lentil loaf is one of my all time go-to meals and one that my mom often makes when I visit her. She usually makes it a couple weeks in advance, freezes and then thaws the day before. Tastes exactly the same and even further make-ahead 😀

Just wanted to thank you for this post! I have company coming and wanted to prepare some special foods ahead of time. Right now I have two chocolate tortes, a triple (!) batch of lentil balls and the sauces for the lentil bolognese in my freezer (I’ll boil the pasta and bake on the day I serve them). Just having these things prepared is making me so much more relaxed and excited for my company to come!

Hey Mara, Nice work on all that prep! Im so happy to hear that this post has been helpful for you. It makes such a difference to have some food prepared before company arrives, doesn’t it? I’ll be doing the same this week. Have a wonderful holiday!